I subscribe to the GERES newsletter

Your e-mail address is only used to send you our newsletter and information about the activities of GERES. You can always use the unsubscribe link included in the newsletter.

Development of a sustainable bamboo charcoal production center

Action completed

Cambodge, Stung Treng province

2015 - 2016

Background

Cambodia suffers from the highest deforestation rate of Southeast Asia, with a high land conversion rate responsible for 46% of the country GHG emissions. In Cambodia, biomass-energy represents 70% of the energy mix and woodfuels (wood, charcoal and sawdust) account for more than 90% of the biomass-energy final demand. Domestic cooking itself generates a demand of 4.7 million tonnes of primary wood which represents three times the energy demand of the transportation sector.

In order to mitigate the pressure on Cambodia’s wood resources, and based on its experience of sustainable charcoal production and dissemination in Cambodia for livelihood improvements, reduced logging, and carbon emission reductions, GERES brought its expertise to pilot the development of a sustainable bamboo charcoal enterprise in Prey Lang, and to assess the value-chain and market-linkages for replication and scale-up.

From objectives to actions

More specifically, GERES:

Provided trainings to community members on bamboo silviculture techniques and the valorization of low-grade bamboo resources into sustainable charcoal;

Established a bamboo charcoal production center with a financially sustainable business model;

Foster linkage to markets to secure revenue for community forest groups;

Launched promotional marketing activities and tools to support the commercialization of sustainable bamboo charcoal products on local markets;

Engaged the production center in the formation of a National Business Association gathering enterprises engaged in the production of sustainable biomass fuels.